


Braiding Practice

by Delouest



Series: Sigh No More - Malika Cadash [10]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hair Braiding, Trespasser Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 15:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4840121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delouest/pseuds/Delouest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*SPOILERS FOR THE TRESPASSER DLC*</p><p>Blackwall realizes Malika can't braid her hair anymore and does his best to learn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Braiding Practice

**Author's Note:**

> I keep seeing sweet things with the LI doing the Inquisitor's hair now that they lost their arm. This is my take on that theme. 
> 
> Comments always welcome. Enjoy!

The horse looked terrible. Its dark brown mane was in sloppy knots, tied off with pieces of grass. Blackwall cursed under his breath when he twisted another lock of its hair and it slipped stubbornly from his fingers.

“Um. Blackwall? What in Stone’s name are you doing to that horse?”

Blackwall jumped back. The poor beast whinnied and reared. Malika stepped back and Blackwall dove to push her out of the way. They tumbled to the ground and waited for the horse to calm. Malika, confused and still reeling from whatever had just happened, was not distracted enough not to notice the strong arm that was wrapped around her waist.

When the dust had settled and the horse stopped knickering, Malika reluctantly wriggled from from Blackwall’s grip and stood, patting the dust from her clothes as best she could with her only remaining arm.

“Can I ask what you were doing to that horse?”

Blackwall looked to the ground. Unfortunately for him, the person whose eyes he was trying to avoid was much shorter than him and she found his gaze without much effort. He cleared his throat uneasily. “Ever since you lost your… Ever since,” he ran a hand over her shoulder, careful not to brush the area where her arm used to be. “You can't, I mean, you stopped wearing your braid.” He was always careful not to use the word “can’t” in relation to Malika. She didn’t take well to being told she wasn’t capable of doing something. “I know what it meant to you, what it still means to you, and what being without it has done to you. Without your arm, it’s too hard to... I was practicing. I tried on my own hair, but I couldn’t see what I was doing. One bit went under and then when I grabbed the next, I lost the others?" Malika giggled at the thought of Blackwall incompetently braiding his hair. "There’s too many parts twisting everywhere! You say you can’t do magic as a dwarf, but if there’s no magic involved in making a braid, I’ll eat my own boot. I thought… Well, the horse has plenty of hair.”

Malika tried not to laugh. “And your first thought was to practice on a horse? Why not ask Sera? You two are good friends. Or Josephine. She wears braids everyday.”

Blackwall sheepishly kicked at the ground in front of them. “The horse won’t judge me.”

Malika’s heart went soft. She shook her head and leaned into Blackwall, resting her head against him. “I don’t need you to braid my hair. I’ve been thinking of cutting it short anyway. But it means the world to me that you wanted to try. Maybe when I get it cut, I could get Cass to help make it into a headband like hers. Then I can still carry it with me.”

Blackwall smiled. He let one arm wrap around Malika and the other he brought to her hair. He made no attempt to twist the hair that was once pulled into a braid behind her ear. Instead he tucked the loose strands behind her ear and continued to gently run his fingers through it. “You would be beautiful with short hair, my lady.” 


End file.
